Public Holiday Pay Rates
On a public holiday, award-covered employees are usually paid a penalty rate - commonly 225% (permanent) or 250% (casual) of the base rate in retail, hospitality and fast food. The exact rate depends on your award, and which days are public holidays depends on your state or territory.
Use the Penalty Rates Calculator
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Public holiday pay basics
Public holidays attract the highest penalty rates in most awards, because working them means giving up a day off that other people get. Permanent employees who would normally work that day are also generally entitled to the day off on ordinary pay if they don't work - and a penalty rate if they do.
Rates are set as a percentage of your base rate. In retail, hospitality and fast food, public-holiday work is commonly around 225% for permanent staff and 250% for casuals, though it varies by award - always confirm in your Fair Work pay guide. Some awards also offer a choice between the penalty rate and a substitute day off.
Rates by common award
As a guide for the three awards this site covers, public-holiday rates commonly look like this (confirm against the current pay guide, as these are pending final verification and change each 1 July):
- Retail (MA000004): around 225% permanent / 250% casual.
- Hospitality (MA000009): around 225% permanent / 250% casual.
- Fast food (MA000003): around 225% permanent / 250% casual.
Enter your base rate and public-holiday hours into the penalty rates calculator to apply your award's exact rate. Remember the percentage is of your ordinary base rate, so a $26 base at 250% is $65.00 an hour.
State public holiday dates (QLD, NSW, VIC ...)
Which days count as public holidays is set by each state and territory, not federally, so the same date can be a public holiday in one state and an ordinary day in another. National days like New Year's Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day apply everywhere, but states add their own - Labour Day falls on different dates, and there are state-specific days like Queensland's Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) holiday or Victoria's Melbourne Cup Day.
Because pay depends on whether the day is gazetted in your state, check your state or territory government's official public-holiday list for the year before working out public-holiday pay. If a public holiday is substituted or additional, the penalty rate follows the gazetted day.
Worked example
Say you're a casual retail worker on a $26.00 base rate and you work an 8-hour shift on a public holiday at a 250% rate.
- Hourly rate: $26.00 × 250% = $65.00
- 8-hour shift: $65.00 × 8 = $520.00 for the day
At an ordinary casual rate that same shift might pay far less, which is why public holidays matter for take-home pay. Put your own base rate and public-holiday hours into the penalty rates calculator alongside your other shifts to see the full week. The figure is gross, before tax and super.
Frequently asked questions
Are public holidays 2x pay?
Often more - in retail, hospitality and fast food, public-holiday work is commonly around 225% (permanent) or 250% (casual) of the base rate, so higher than double for casuals. The exact figure depends on your award, so check your Fair Work pay guide and enter it in the calculator.
Who gets a pay rise in July 2026?
Award and minimum-wage rates are reviewed each year in the Annual Wage Review, with changes generally from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. If you're on a modern award, your base and penalty rates - including public-holiday rates - may rise then.
How do I calculate my pay for a public holiday?
Multiply your base hourly rate by your award's public-holiday percentage, then by the hours worked. For a $26 base at 250% over 8 hours, that's $26 × 2.5 × 8 = $520. The penalty rates calculator does this and combines it with the rest of your week.
What are the pay rates for Queensland Health employees on public holidays in 2026?
Queensland Health staff are covered by their own public-sector awards and agreements, not the retail/hospitality/fast-food awards this site covers, so their public-holiday rates differ. Check the relevant Queensland Health enterprise agreement or the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission for those figures.
Sources
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Estimate only - not legal or payroll advice. Check your award and the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guides. Not affiliated with the Fair Work Ombudsman.